- During the first weekend of May the new series Audi R8 LMS Cup will be inaugurated on Hockenheim
- Two Polish drivers, Robin Rogalski and Bartosz Paziewski, are present on the starting list
- Young and promising drivers will compete in the company of prestigious DTM
- 2018 season will be held on 6 different circuits across whole Europe
During the forthcoming weekend on the Hockenheim circuit the brand new racing series Audi R8 LMS Cup will be launched – young and promising drivers will start their 2018 campaign. Besides Nurburgring, the Hockenheim venue has the richest history in the whole Germany – first events in this area dates back to year 1932.
In the 2018 season the Audi R8 LMS Cup will be held on six rounds, all of which will be organized in company of the prestigious Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. First racing weekend of the one marqe cup will be held on May 4th-6th, together with the DTM season opener.
On the starting list of the new series there are also drivers from Poland. Robin Rogalski and Bartosz Paziewski will defend their national colours, and the duo has already been driving in the Seyffarth Motorsport team in Renault Clio Cup Central Europe 2017.
The first practice session will begin on Friday at 12:35 – this will be a perfect opportunity to get used to the track, as well as finding optimal setup in the car – Audi R8 LMS GT4. The racing car is equipped with a petrol V10 engine producing 495 horsepower. It is transferred to the rear wheels with help of the 7-gear automatic gearbox.
Later on, also on Friday, drivers will participate in the second practice session which will begin shortly after DTM practices. Next 50 minutes will be crucial for Audi R8 LMS Cup drivers, as this will be their last step of preparation before both qualifying sessions and races.
Saturday will be the day of DTM show mostly – at 9:00 Audi, BMW and Mercedes drivers will start their second practice session, while as soon as at 11:25 we will be able to watch qualifying session of the fastest touring cars in the world.
Audi R8 LMS Cup drivers will start their qualifying session precisely at 12:05 – after 45 minutes of battle with time we will know the starting grid for the first race, while the track just after that will be the scene of the first DTM race of the 2018 season. The competitors of the cup organized by the German crew Seyffarth Motorsport will begin their race at 16:30.
The final day of the first 2018 round of Audi R8 LMS Cup will be Sunday – first on the track will be once again DTM drivers, while Rogalski, Paziewski and their competitors will attend the qualifying session at 9:50 in the morning. Then we will know the driver with pole position before the second race, which is scheduled at 15:15.
The Audi R8 LMS Cup will consist of six rounds. After the Hockenheim rivalry, drivers will go to Lausitzring and Hungaroring. After the summer brake competitors will race on British Brands Hatch, Italian Misano, while the big finale will be located on Nurburgring.
The plan for Audi R8 LMS Cup is to be organized for three years with an option of adding two more seasons. In the season 2018 it will be always held in company of the prestigious DTM. The total cost of participation is 150 000 euro. This amount is a total cost drivers need to take to race, including the service of the car.
Quotes before the Audi R8 LMS Cup 1st round on Hockenheim:
Bartosz Paziewski: – I spent the whole winter testing with Matuesz Lisowski, so I could get used to the rear-wheel drive as much as possible. Unfortunately, for the past two months I didn’t seat in the car at all. My cooperation with Seyffarth Motorsport team was already very positive in Renault Clio Cup Central Europe, therefore I can’t wait for the Audi R8 LMS GT4 challenge to begin. DTM is a series all of us would like to race in some day – huge crowds mean equally huge satistfaction from both racing and watching. I don’t think about specific goals for that round – I try to keep my head cold. I want to learn as much as possible and it would be nice to be on the podium for a few times. Surely, this won’t be a main goal, as there are many new tracks in the calendar for me. I checked them on the symulator and I must tell, I already can’t wait for the season to begin.
Robin Rogalski: – The goal for this year in Audi R8 LMS Cu pis obviously to win and gathering as many points and experience as possible. During the winter break I didn’t have many chances to test, as there were no official sessions, but I spent a lot of time on the symulator and on the gym. I feel I am well prepared for the conditions we will face behind the wheel of Audi R8 LMS GT4. For now, I did around 30 laps in a new car, but it is not a big issue for me and I start the season with head held high. I have a great season in front of me – fantastic circuits, excellent calendar and all races in company of one of the best series in the world – DTM.
Schedule for 1st round of Audi R8 LMS Cup on Hockenheim:
Friday, May 4th
12:35 – 1st practice session
16:35 – 2nd practice session
Saturday, May 5th
12:05 – 1st qualifying session
16:30 – 1st race
Sunday, May 6th
9:50 – 2nd qulifying session
15:15 – 2nd race
Audi R8 LMS Cup 2018 calendar:
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3: 1-3.06 Hungaroring
Round 4: 11-12.08 Brands Hatch
Round 5: 24-26.08 Misano
Round 6: